Improvement in lamps



G. BIL-CASS. Lamp.

No. 201,867. Patented April 2,1878.

I, WMLJLLII I Fig.2.

Ewen 01 N-PETERS, PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTONv D- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER M. CASS, OF SOUTH EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

IM PYROVEM ENT m LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,867, dated April 2,1878; application filed January 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER M. CASS, of South Evanston, Cook county,State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lamps,of which the following is a full description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with a portion cut away, and showingthe movable oil-cup in section. Fig. 3 is a variation.

In many places oil is burned in street-lamps. The leading objects of myinvention are to construct a lamp suitable for a street-lamp, so thatthe main oil-reservoir will hold oil enough for several nights, and sothat a supply of oil sufficient for a single night can be brought nearto the wick each night without filling the main reservoir; to soconstruct the lamp that it.wi1l be self-extinguishing, dispensing withthe services of an attendant for that purpose, and at the same time toprovide for the burning of only a given quantity of oil each night.These objects I accomplish by providing a secondary movable oil cup orreservoir located within the main reservoir, which movable cup is tohold oil enough for a single night, and in which the wick rests, and bymeans of devices by the use of which the movable cup can be lowered intothe main reservoir to be filled, then raised up, and held near to theburner.

In the drawings, A represents the main oilreservoir. As shown, it issquare. It may contain a supply of oil sufficient for several days-say alittle more than enough for one week. B is a shallow movableoil-reservoir, located withinA, adapted to hold only oil enough for asingle night. 0 is a movable bent wire. It has a horizontal part, a twovertical parts, b,- which pass down into and the ends are bent at rightangles to b. As shown, these bent ends 0 pass through one side of thecup B, and they are permanently secured to the bottom of the cup B. Theymight be secured to the under side of the bottom of this cup; but then Bcould not be pushed down onto the bottom of A, and A would have to besomewhat enlarged to have the same utilized capacity. 61 are socketsthrough which b pass. D is another wire, bent so as to have twocoilsprings, c c. From these springs the wire is carried up on eachside, and the two ends are bent so as to hook over, and engage with, thevertical parts b b of O. The horizontal part f of this Wire D ispermanently secured to the outside of the lamp A, but the other partsare free. The ends 9 of the wire D engage with notches in b b, and holdthe oil-cup B in position. h h are the vertical parts of D.

In use, the reservoir A is to be filled with oil. This will be likely tobe done when the cup B is down to the bottom of A. Then, by means of thewire 0, the cup can be raised up to the position shown in Fig. 1, beingfilled with oil, and the wick being in the cup B, and this cup will beheld in this position by'the ends g of the wire D engaging with thenotches in b b.

When the oil in B has burned out, the wick, being in this cup, canreceive no further supply, and the fiame must go out.

The cup B can be refilled each succeeding night, so long as there is asupply in A, by lowering the cup B down into the oil in A, which can bedone by releasing g g from b b, and pushing down the wire 0, which willcarry the cup with it. After the cup has been thus filled, it is to bebrought back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Thus the oil being consumed will always be near the burner, and auniform flame be obtained.

These advantages also follow this construction: The wick will seldomneed trimming; no crust will form thereon, but the wick above thewick-tube will burn away, and it will only be necessary, for theattendant to pass his finger over the top of the wick to brush away theashes; only a given'quantity of oil can be consumed each night, so thatwaste will not follow the negligence of the attendant.

The lamp Amust be refilled as occasion requires.

As described, the cup B is so made that it i will hold oil, and tosecure all of the objects of my invention it must be so constructed; butthe two features of providing for burning only a given quantity of oileach night, and for self-extinguishing, can be secured even if the cupwould not hold oil, by a slight modification, it only being necessary toprovide for lowering B a given distance each night, and holding it insuch position, which can be done by providing the vertical parts I) of Owitha series of notches, with which g can engage, the distance betweenthe notches depending on the quantity of oil to be burned each night.Then, if B be lowered each night the required distance, and be left inthat position, a given quantity of oil will be consumed each night, andthe light will be self-extinguished. In this case B will not be anoil-cup, but simply a shelf for supporting the wick, which could be madeas shown in Fig. 3, in which E represents a perforated wick-shelf,provided with a flange to strengthen it, and to aid in keeping the wickupon the shelf.

I do not limit myself to the exact manner CHRISTOPHER M. CASS.

Witnesses:

E. A. WEST, 0. W. BOND.

